Lacing device for boots and shoes



March 24, 1925. I 1,530,713 J. s. D. CLARK LAYQZING DEVICE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES Filed Feb. 11, 1924 V 5 I 6 1 6 V 4 3. 13 .FYE 1.

H I SZIZZCI" ATTY.

Patented Mar. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

LAC'ING DEVICE FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

Application filed February'll, 1924.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OIIN STEPHEN DAY CLARK, a subject of the King of Great Britain, resident of the town of Battleford, in the Province of Saskatchewan, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful l mproven'ient in Lacing Devices for Boots and Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relatesto improvements in boots and shoes as described in the present specification and shown in the accompanying drawings which form a part. of the same.

The invention appertains more particularly to a new and useful method of lacing boots and shoes, which method consists substantially in providing one or more openings in the upper, to permit of putting on and re moving the boot or shoe; securing small pulleys along the opposing edges of such openings to reduce the wear of a lace running alternately over the pulleys upon one side of the openings to those upon the other side thereof, and connecting a fastener to the lace of each opening so that it is simply necessary to draw taut the fasteners and secure them to one another in order to draw together the separated parts of the upper.

The fasteners, which secure the laces together, form a very distinctive feature of this invention as by their engagement and disconnection they serve to secure or loosen the boot or shoe upon the wearers foot.

The object of the invention is to provide an efficient and serviceable device of the class described, which both facilitates and eX- pedites the putting on and removal of boots and shoes, and one which eliminates the an noyance caused by laces becoming untied.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a boot embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail of the lace fasteners.

Figure 3 is a. sectional View, taken on the line 1-1, Figure 2, of the fasteners.

Like numerals indicate corresponding parts in each figure throughout the drawings.

In the drawings, the preferred form of the invent-ion comprises a boot or shoe, of any design or construction, having its upper cut away at each side, as at 1 and 2, so that said upper may expand to receive the wear ers foot and contract upon its reception.

The openings so formed'separate the up- Serial No. 692,127.

per into a front piece 3 and a rear piece 4 having opposing edges at each side of the boot or shoeas at 5 and 6, which edges may lie-reinforced in the usual manner, or otherwise, to impart strength to same.

It will be readily understood that in fancy and novelty shoes, or where it is desired to provide a cool shoe, theuppers may be constructed with wide openings, thus rendering them cool and comfortable for the wearer; tongues can, of course, be inserted when it is desired to secure the opposite effect.-

Pulleys 7 are ailixed to the front piece 8 and rear piece t of the upper, longitudinally disposed at the edges 5 and 6 thereof, such pulleys being of a comparatively small size and preferably spaced an equidistance apart, the set of pulleys on one side of the openings being staggered in relation to those on the opposing side of the same opening.

A lace 8 is passed alternately over the pulleys of the opposing edges 5 and 6 at each side of the upper and secured at their ends to the extreme pulleys of same, such lace being of a suflicient length to permit I of ample expansion of the front and rear pieces 3 and 4 upon slackening thereof.

Intermediate of the lacing at each side of the upper, fasteners are provided, which upon being drawn together interlock; one of such fasteners comprises a U-shaped member 9 having its ends teri'ninating in hooks 10 and carrying a pulley 11, which pulley receives one of the laces 8, the other fastener consisting of a headed cross bar 12 arranged to lock in the interfitting fastener hooks 10 and bearing a similar pulley 13 which receives the other lace.

It will be clear from the foregoing that in order to tighten the laces of the respective openings it is merely necessary to pull the fasteners taut and connect them together at the frontof the upper, and, inversely, the laces may be loosened by disengaging said fasteners and allowing them to slacken.

To construct a boot or shoe embodying the present invention with a single opening, the pulley of one of the fasteners is replaced by a rivet which secures the fastener pormanently to the upper. The closing of the opening is then effected by drawing the lace taut and engaging its fastener with that secured to the upper.

hat I claim is ends and carrying a pulley engaging the 1. A sbOO'l orvshoev-having;itsi -uppe1ucut lace. of the opening, andv a furthers-fastener away tOlfEOTIIlLfl pair of openings,;pulleys af-J- coinpizising -;a --G1'OSS:bELI disposed": to; lock in fixed at the opposing edges of such opening, said hook ends of the aforesaid fastener and a lace passingalternately over the pulleysoi .aflixed to the. upper so thatttheulaee will be the opposing edges of each opening so as to drawn taut upon the interlocking of the close same upon being drawn taut,ia as-- fastenersone With the other. tener comprising a U-shaped ineniber having 3. In a boot or shoe, the combination With hook ends and earryingaga zpulleyengaging therlacinggoi the'iipper of a fastener comthe lace of one of the openings, and a further prising a U-shapcd me-lnbe' having hook faStener -comprising-m cross-bardisposedr toas ends and carryingga pulley engagingta-lace 10Ck i11 said hook cndsvof 'l-tlTG aforesaid:element; a further :fastener:consistingjot a fastener-and rhavin 1 a ulle e11 'a 'in the':crosssbar dis osed to: lock in said-hook ends y b C b I I ltGGiDf the-other openlngnsosthat the reof ll-llQ fiiOlQSPUCl fastener and having-a pulley.

spectlve laceseavlll 'beidrawn"taut upon the engaging another-laceelementsowthat-the inter loc'kingeof the z fasteners 'one with 'the lace element Will be drawn taut .uponithe im other;

2. Aaboot'or shoe-having its upper cut otherr-p away forming an openin pulleys alfiXed' JoHNi STEPHEN :D-AY roLAiaKi, VVitnesses Va- L. Guian Ci VRYOURILP- lace-"passingalternately over the pulleys of" the opposingxedges of the opening so as to close same upon=being drawn taut, a fastener comprising a U-shaped memberhavinghook tel-locking uof the fasteners one i with :the

Signed at Battleford, Canadaythis rSt'h at theropposing edges rotsuch opening, a day: ofJanuarvy1924x 

